The Further Adventures of Breagha

This is a continuation thread following the travels of osprey Breagha, hatched at Loch Garten in 2013. 

I put together this table to set out the big events of Breagha's life, and his migrations. I might continue trying to get it to display better, but the links to LG blogs seem to work. 

Sue 

2013

 

28 May

Breagha hatches, from EJ’s fourth egg

http://www.rspb.org.uk/community/placestovisit/lochgartenospreys/b/lochgartenospreys/archive/2013/05/28/two-chicks-from-two-eggs.aspx

6 July

Breagha and older sibling Oighrig ringed & tagged

http://www.rspb.org.uk/community/placestovisit/lochgartenospreys/b/lochgartenospreys/archive/2013/07/06/ringed-named-and-tagged.aspx

19 July

Fledges

http://www.rspb.org.uk/community/placestovisit/lochgartenospreys/b/lochgartenospreys/archive/2013/07/19/sky-high.aspx

23 Aug

Leaves Loch Garten, roosts near Glenfarquhar Lodge, Aberdeenshire

24 Aug

Roosts on S side of R. Tay

http://www.rspb.org.uk/community/placestovisit/lochgartenospreys/b/lochgartenospreys/archive/2013/08/25/where-are-they-now.aspx

25 Aug

Bentpath, Dumfries & Galloway

26 Aug

Nr. Newport, Pembrokeshire

27 Aug

Sheviock, Tamar Estuary, Cornwall

http://www.rspb.org.uk/community/placestovisit/lochgartenospreys/b/lochgartenospreys/archive/2013/08/28/and-the-race-is-on.aspx

28 Aug

Crosses to France; roosts near Magneville, Cotentin peninsula, Manche

http://www.rspb.org.uk/community/placestovisit/lochgartenospreys/b/lochgartenospreys/archive/2013/08/31/breagha-and-oighrig-tracking-update.aspx

29 Aug

Photographed perched in marshes near Carentan, Manche

http://www.rspb.org.uk/community/placestovisit/lochgartenospreys/b/lochgartenospreys/archive/2013/09/01/brie-a-stops-to-say-quot-cheese-quot-in-france.aspx

http://forum.gonm.org/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=644&sid=e20177f729a4ff7adfb4f864daff352f&start=90

30 Aug

SE past Caen, roosts near L’Aigle, Orne

31 Aug

Turns south, roosts S of Le Mans, Sarthe

1 Sep – 4 Oct

http://www.rspb.org.uk/community/placestovisit/lochgartenospreys/b/lochgartenospreys/archive/2013/09/04/oighrig-is-in-oighrig.aspx

Stopover near Loire/Vienne confluence; main roost Lac de Tetine, Savigny-en-Véron, Indre-et-Loire

5 Oct

Restarts migration, roosts Cabanac-et-Villagrains, Gironde

6 Oct

Into Spain, roosts Tagus basin nr Torrijos, La Mancha

7 Oct

R. Guadalquivir near Lora del Rio

http://www.rspb.org.uk/community/placestovisit/lochgartenospreys/b/lochgartenospreys/archive/2013/10/09/there-39-s-change-now.aspx

8 Oct

Crosses to Morocco, roosts reservoir SE of Casablanca

9 Oct

Over Atlas Mts

10 Oct

Crosses Anti-Atlas mts

11 Oct

SE into Sahara, enters Mauritania

http://www.rspb.org.uk/community/placestovisit/lochgartenospreys/b/lochgartenospreys/archive/2013/10/14/landfall-for-breagha-phew.aspx

12-14 Oct

Turns SW, 20km N of Senegal river on 14th

http://www.rspb.org.uk/community/placestovisit/lochgartenospreys/b/lochgartenospreys/archive/2013/10/15/worry-ye-not-breagha-39-s-through-the-sahara-phew.aspx

16 Oct-25 Nov

Based Diawling NP area, SW Mauritania

26 Nov-

Travels south to Casamance region of Senegal, explores area S of river

http://www.rspb.org.uk/community/placestovisit/lochgartenospreys/b/lochgartenospreys/archive/2013/12/08/breagha-is-exploring.aspx

All 2014

Settled on south side of Casamance, in mangrove swamps between Elinkin & Diantene

2015

 

Jan-Apr

Settled on south side of Casamance

26 May

Begins northwards migration; roosts near Bansang, Gambia

27 May

Data missing; flies through northern Senegal

28 May

Crosses Senegal river, roosts north of Lake Aleg, Mauritania

29 May

Roosts near N1 road, NE of Nouakchott

http://www.rspb.org.uk/community/placestovisit/lochgartenospreys/b/lochgartenospreys/archive/2015/05/30/if-you-want-something-doing-do-it-yourself.aspx

30 May

On Mauritania/W Sahara border E of Nouadhibou

1 Jun

Spends time & roosts near Gulf of Cintra, W Sahara

2-5 June

Travels E then N to northern Mauritania/W Sahara border

http://www.rspb.org.uk/community/placestovisit/lochgartenospreys/b/lochgartenospreys/archive/2015/06/09/breagha-is-moving-on-up.aspx

5 June

Reaches oasis of Tighmert, Morocco

6 June

Crosses Atlas Mts, roosts SW of Marrakesh

7 June

Roosts SW of Meknes

8 June

Crosses Straits of Gibraltar; roosts Guadarranque reservoir

9 June

Nr Luciana, Ciudad Real

10 June

Reaches Douro basin

11 June

Starts over Bay of Biscay, turns back to near San Sebastian

http://www.rspb.org.uk/community/placestovisit/lochgartenospreys/b/lochgartenospreys/archive/2015/06/16/when-a-capercaillie-met-a-dodo.aspx

12-13 June

Crosses to France, takes rest day near Pontonx-sur-L’Adour, Landes

14 June

Eygurande-et-Gardedeuil, Dordogne

15 June

NW of Mansle, Charente

16 June

SE of Mollay, Maine-et-Loire

17 June

Begins stay in Touraine

http://www.rspb.org.uk/community/placestovisit/lochgartenospreys/b/lochgartenospreys/archive/2015/06/23/breagha-is-in-france.aspx

19-20 Aug

Begins migration south, pauses N of Parthenay, Deux-Sevres

21 Aug

Nancras, Charente-Maritime

http://www.rspb.org.uk/community/placestovisit/lochgartenospreys/b/lochgartenospreys/archive/2015/08/24/farewell-odin.aspx

22 Aug

Crosses Gironde to Medoc, travels E to Etang de Saint-Maigrin

23 Aug-13 Sep

Ranging between Etang de Saint-Maigrin & Gironde estuary; frequent roost Etang d’Allas

http://www.rspb.org.uk/community/placestovisit/lochgartenospreys/b/lochgartenospreys/archive/2015/09/06/39-i-39-m-an-osprey-and-i-39-m-hungry-39.aspx

14 Sep

Static signal from wood nr. Saint-Dizant-du-Gua, Charente-Maritime

http://www.rspb.org.uk/community/placestovisit/lochgartenospreys/b/lochgartenospreys/archive/2015/09/25/a-blog-of-two-halves.aspx

Tracker identified as Breagha’s, and some osprey feathers, later found by Noisette http://www.rspb.org.uk/community/placestovisit/lochgartenospreys/b/lochgartenospreys/archive/2015/10/19/breagha-s-tracker-found-by-jeremy-roberts.aspx

  • Unknown said:
    Fingers crossed for success for Odin and EJ next year

    Fingers crossed that we see  Blue AN8 (better known as Druie) next year. Also I am not at all convinced that Blue AN9 (Seasca) definitely perished. 

  • Hazel,  A thought.

    If you're still wanting to contact Jess Tomes to offer to search, the best way to do it would probably be to send your contact details in an email addressed to her at abernethy@rspb.org.uk, which should find its way to her on Monday morning.

    This would get over the fact that she doesn't seem to have her own  signon for the Community site yet, and probably wouldn't know that she would need to send you a Friend request, in order to contact you privately via the site.    

  • Thanks Sue, I'm just wondering if I should email Roy Dennis, he is in charge of the team that does the fitting of the transmitters & rings doesn't he? I've done it before when I've read a ringed bird. He may know who is out there looking (if anyone)!

    EDIT : I've done an email to Jess at that address

    Best wishes

    Hazel in Southwest France

  • Noisette. I rang Roy on Friday when this first started in the hope that he had a contact in the RSPB who could get the co-ordinates you want. Regretfully he could not help. I am hoping the ranger who is leading a walk at Abernethy this morning will get back to me when she gets my message which I left on her mobile phone.

  • Ideally I want to get out tomorrow, as this afternoon I'm doing an organised walk around the lagoons at Mortagne & Tuesday I'm meeting someone in the other direction. I feel quite strongly that someone needs to find him to see if a cause of death can be established & any possible crimes committed investigated (shot or trapped). I've put my phone number in a pm to Jess so hopefully she'll call me first thing.

    The only problem could be the high tidal coefficient at the moment. Some of the woods are badly flooded at these times & access is very difficult, it depends where he is.

    Best wishes

    Hazel in Southwest France

  • Hazel b said:
    Also I am not at all convinced that Blue AN9 (Seasca) definitely perished.

    What makes you think so?

    Our herring gulls are red listed birds.  Think about that the next time you hear some flaming idiot calling for a cull of them.

  • Clare Bailey said:
    What makes you think so?

    Well her tracker went dead rather than the dreaded static signal. There was no evidence of her being in any danger. A bit like Blue YD in many ways. 

  • Hazel C said:

    Ideally I want to get out tomorrow, as this afternoon I'm doing an organised walk around the lagoons at Mortagne & Tuesday I'm meeting someone in the other direction. I feel quite strongly that someone needs to find him to see if a cause of death can be established & any possible crimes committed investigated (shot or trapped). I've put my phone number in a pm to Jess so hopefully she'll call me first thing.

    The only problem could be the high tidal coefficient at the moment. Some of the woods are badly flooded at these times & access is very difficult, it depends where he is.

    I have just had a call from Allison the Ranger who has Mike's number and is going to try and get hold of him. She also has a number for  a member of the Osprey team and will try and get hold of them.  Although she has no dealings with the Osprey project she appreciates the situation and is clearly trying to be helpful. She has promised to let me know how she gets on,one way or another, later today. I have explained that the precise GPS coordinates are what is required. We can only hope her assistance bears fruit.

  • Well done Mike!

     

     2013 photos & vids here

    eff37 on Flickr

  • That's great news, Thanks Mike for all your efforts, I'll look later.

    Best wishes

    Hazel in Southwest France